Starting Out

There’s a lot to think about when you are starting out in any new venture. Often the big (and exciting!) vision can become overwhelmed by more practical and mundane tasks, however necessary these are. As someone who is fairly new in post I recognise how this feels all too well! However, I have been reminded so many times of the importance of sustainability in all of our work, even from the time of starting out.

A recent conversation brought this home to me quite vividly. I was talking to a manager who had been tasked with setting up a brand new project which was only weeks away from launch. I heard about all the preparations in place for the opening, from getting people and resources to the right place at the right time, as well as the excitement of promoting the launch and the celebrations on the day itself. However, the manager explained that the most important thing on her agenda was not just supporting the launch, but making sure that everyone was thinking about the long term. It was, she said, about getting everyone to make sure that what they were doing now was sustainable. If not, she said, there almost wouldn’t be any point in starting.

Some weeks later at a conference a delegate reminded me yet again about the sense of urgency organisations needed when thinking about the long term. “If we don’t think about sustainability first, then we really just don’t deserve to be here!” It’s a clear wake up call to us all, whether we are just starting out, or even if we are further down the line, the time for thinking about sustainability is now.

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This website exists to help you exchange ideas and resources with other people who have a shared interest in sustaining organisations – and impact. We can’t do it without you – we’re always on the lookout for more ideas and resources, so please contact us if you have something to share.